How to Raise Chickens in Your Backyard: A Beginner’s Guide

So, you want to learn how to raise chickens? You’re not alone. A growing focus on local food and sustainability has spurred a renewed interest in raising backyard chickens – especially in larger cities.

There are dozens of reasons to consider inviting a few chickens home to roost. The obvious one is that chickens make delicious, fresh eggs (and chicken!). Chickens also make friendly, entertaining, easy-to-manage, low-maintenance pets, lots of high-quality compost, and, sometimes, they even make your neighbors jealous.

If you’ve decided you can’t live without a chicken flock of your own, here is a basic guide to raising chickens:

Choosing a Chicken Breed

Chickens are a practical source of food and beautiful to have around, so choosing the right breed depends on what your goals are. If you’re looking forward to making a fresh egg omelet every morning, you might consider one of the Mediterranean class chicken breeds, which are known for egg production. These include Leghorns, Golden or Silver Campines, Buttercups, Hamburgs, Blue Andalusians, Minorcas. If you’re eyeing your chickens for their meat, the Cornish Cross is a fast-growing hybrid with a plump breast. Dual-purpose breeds are probably the best option for those starting out. These include Brahmas, Cochins, New Hampshire and Rhode Island Reds, Wyandottes, Ameraucanas, Barred Rocks, and Buff Orpingtons,

Build a Chicken Coop

Chickens are low-maintenance, but they still need a coop to call home. Proper housing protects your chickens from predators and the elements, and it gives them a warm, comfortable place to roost. You can purchase a chicken coop kit and options to customize your chicken coop. There are so many different chicken coop designs, you may get confused by all of the options, but here are some of the basic things to remember:

The Basics:

Chickens need space. Large chicken coops are usually designed for up to 15 chickens, medium coops for around 10 chickens and smaller coops for 5 or fewer.

Security: Security is critical if you want to keep your chicken friends around, so make sure that any coop you build or buy has locking doors. Some coops come with automatic door timers that open in the morning and close at night, allowing you the freedom to sleep in or go out.

Electricity and Heat: This is a nice-to-have for your feathered friends, because they can withstand cold weather on their own. The main reason to consider heating a coop is to keep their water from freezing. Adding light to your chicken coop is also not a necessity, but it can encourage egg production when the days grow shorter. To encourage your chickens to continue to lay eggs in colder months, keep a light source on for 13-14 hours.

Run Space: When your chickens are feeling cooped up, chicken runs give them the fresh air and security they need. Chicken runs are a wire-mesh enclosure that protects chickens from predators. Make sure the chicken run you choose is sturdy and offers plenty of space for your flock to stretch its wings.

Chicken Coop Wheel Base . Sometimes you need to move your chicken coop, and that’s not fun if you don’t have a wheelbase underneath. A wheeled chicken coop could be considered a luxury, but you will appreciate having the ability to relocate your coop with your own muscle power.

Roosting Area/Nesting Boxes: A roosting area is an elevated perch where your chickens can get some shut-eye. You’ll also want to add dried straw or pine wood shavings in the nesting boxes for maximum chicken comfort and to create a soft, protective bed for their eggs.

Chicken Nutrition

Chicken Feed

To keep your chickens plump and happy, you will need a chicken feeder (a large canister with a shallow pan at the bottom). Fill the canister with store-bought chicken (usually labeled as “layer” pellets.) To make sure your chickens are getting the nutrition and variety they need, you should also supplement your chicken feed with cracked corn, bugs (you can let them do the foraging, unless you’re into that), and pretty much any fruits and vegetables from your own kitchen. They will even eat cooked beans and pasta, if you don’t mind cooking for your flock.

Water

Like every pet or person, chickens need a regular supply of fresh, clean water. You can use a 5-gallon bucket or a shallow plastic dish. There are also several automatic watering systems that ensure your chickens are never parched.

Conclusion

Raising chickens is a lot of fun and offers plenty of perks. Just don’t count your chickens until they’ve hatched…Check with your city or Homeowners Association about local zoning laws or covenants before you invest in a backyard chicken coop. The last thing you want is to have to evict your entire flock.

OverEZ Coop Videos

OverEZ Chicken Coop Facebook Reviews

We’ve had the small coop for over a year and loved it so much we decided to also buy the Large since we increased or flock to a total of 14.
We bought the reversed doors which means they just swapped where the chicken door and man door was so the windows and egg boxes face the back of our house.
Allen Fisher is the man to talk to if your contemplating the purchase of their coops.
We did go to the Old Dominion Freight to pick up by trailer since our driveway is a nightmare. This was our call to do it this way.
It’s just amazing how well built these coops are. They’re made to last!
The most important part is that the girls ❤️ Love their new 🏡 home.

We bought several prefab coops before our OverEz and quickly realized how small and poorly built they were. We didn't have the time to build a nice one ourselves and the cost of materials didn't really make it worth doing it on our own anyways. I'm so glad we went with our OverEz. Everything is great quality down to the hardware. After seeing how much my girls enjoyed their new coop I had to get another one for my bantams and got the matching run for them. The run is great too. If chicken math keeps up I may get another in the future. haha

I have had the OverEZ coop for THREE Chicago Winters without heat or light. The girls did amazing!! I have also pushed the recommended capacity and they do great!! Plenty of space and ventilation! The maintenance and upkeep is a snap. I would recommend this coop to the beginner to the most advanced chicken owner! I LOVE the QUALITY and the SERVICE!!!! Thank you!!!!!!!

did my research. made up my mind but still had to wait over a year to purchase. Best price. solid construction . great customer service (Allen). I had to pick up my coop at freight warehouse due to undeliverable driveway. my call. large coop fits perfectly between the wheels of a F-150. difficult to unpackage while on a truck. you will need two strong bodies. watched the video as we assembled. It now holds 20 chicks. I expect to reduce that number though. Totally pleased and excited. I will add hardware cloth to windows so coons can't eat through screen of open window. first night tonight. anxious to see how coyotes and red wolf like it.

I have had my coop almost a year now and love it, I have the large coop and my 16 chickens are very comfortable in it. I love how easy it is to clean and gathering eggs is a breeze. Would highly recommend this coop for any flock. Also, bought the automatic door and love it as well. Needed some help getting it set up and the customer service I received was outstanding! Thanks for making it easy to House and care for my flock. It has done well both summer/winter here in Neb.

I got the small for our urban back yard setup after looking at others online. This thing is built like a tank. Confident that this will stand up to tough Colorado weather conditions of sun, wind, rain, snow! Did I say wind? Easy to assemble even by myself. It took longer to unpack it from the box (well packaged) then it did to put together. Would highly recommend. Oh yea...Chicks dig it!

What a great experience. Beautiful coop, well worth the cost, and the gentlemen who built, delivered, and assembled it are high-integrity, hard working, and just nice guys. I recommend them without reservation. Thanks for a great coop and a great experience. PS our chickens love their house!

I ordered the medium OverEZ chicken coop for my five hens. I am absolutely thrilled with the product and the whole experience. The coop kit arrived very-well crated with no damage whatsoever. With the help of a friend, we easily put it together in less than an hour. It looks wonderful in my poultry yard and is very sturdy and well-made. This coop will last for years and years. Best of all, my hens were very excited about their new coop and couldn't wait to move in. This coop is less expensive and better made than other coops I have looked at. It is worth every single penny!! If you've been thinking about purchasing an OverEZ coop for your roosting poultry, just do it!! You will not be disappointed.